Nuclear staff exposed to radiation at Bruce?

BRUCE PENINSULA, ONTARIO - The federal nuclear safety watchdog says more than 200 workers may have been exposed to a dangerous form of radioactivity while they were refurbishing a reactor at the Bruce power station late last year.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission filed a regulatory document in Ottawa saying up to 217 workers at the plant on the shores of Lake Huron may have inhaled potentially hazardous "alpha contamination."

A routine survey picked up contamination in the air in Bruce A station's Unit 1 on November 26, 2009, the document says.

The radioactive particles are linked to cancer if ingested, inhaled or absorbed through cuts in the skin.

But Bruce Power says monitoring of potentially affected workers indicates the levels of exposure were within limits set under federal rules.

"All our analysis from our preliminary readings is that regulatory levels have not even been approached and half the ones we've received were too low even to register," said spokesman John Peevers.

The 217 workers are staff at Bruce or outside contractors working on the lengthy refurbishment project. Testing of their radiation levels continues.

"Preliminary monitoring of all potentially affected workers indicated no overexposures," the nuclear safety commission said on its website.

Bruce Power also said contamination was fully contained in the affected unit and there is no risk to the public or surrounding environment.

Work in the affected vault in Unit 1 was stopped until cleanup of the contamination was complete, and monitors have been installed to identify any further contamination, the document says.

The nuclear safety commission, which was first notified of the incident orally on January 5 and received a written report two days later, plans to discuss the incident at its public board meeting.